Asylum
by HolyRiot11
Summary: Jo has been in the Asylum for a decade. Why? No one knows. But that doesn't mean no one wants to.
1. Volunteer

Asylum

Chapter 1

**A/N: The name makes it sound action-y, eh? Well... that's not the case. Believe it or not, this is just romance with a dark past. And well... something much like insanity. Yuri, JoxMeg. The usual. ;) And yeah, considerable action.**

* * *

><p>Meg stopped, just outside the building. She almost re-thought what she was doing. Almost. But she'd already said she'd do it, after all. And hey, if it wasn't terrifying enough to immobilize her with fear, then it could be fun. The place seemed normal enough, save for the... barred windows. As she stood outside the gate, a small group came out.<p>

Stepping out of the way, she watched. The group was just two people, one of them staying back more than the other. The one ahead was a black-haired woman, her long blue jacket closed to the bitter cold of winter. She looked at the other one, and she froze.

There was a strange sort of wild beauty to this woman, she realized. Her short silver hair was messy, but in a nice sort of way. Her figure was lean, and she looked strong. But it was her eyes that captivated her. If she looked into the crimson depths of those eyes of hers, she would see sadness but a great deal of self-control. Holding back.

They approached her, the woman in the blue jacket smiling politely as they reached her. "Hello, I'm Sei. You must be Meg, if I'm correct. I am in charge of the asylum."

Meg nodded. "Yeah, I'm Meg. Who's this?"

"Jo," said the person, nodding to her. Her voice was quiet, empty. "I've been here for ten years."

Now _that_, that surprised Meg. For the most part, Jo looked fine. Not to mention, she was, what, about a year older than Meg herself, who was twenty seven? She was in the asylum for a notable portion of her life.

"She's the one you'll be visiting," explains Sei. "Now, I have to go check on the other patients." As she turns, she adds one more thing. "Don't be offended or surprised if she doesn't talk much. She was never very social."

She then leaves, heading into the building and leaving the two alone.

* * *

><p>"Amy, you're sick. Try laying off the computer time."<p>

The weak teenager **(A/N: Well, if everyone else is older than she should be too, right?)** looks at the older woman with pleading eyes. "If you take away my computer, it'll kill me! God, do you really hate me _that_ much?"

Sei sighs. "I never said I was going to take it from you. What do you even _do_ on it, anyways?"

"I try to find a cure."

The teasing look fades from Amy's eyes when she says that, and she types some more. Yes, she's fatally sick, not to mention her head was messed up enough to get her into the asylum. She decides to change the subject, not wanting to talk about her health for any reason.

"How's Jo?"

"You can never be sure with her. She acts perfectly fine. But she only acts. I think she's only gotten better at hiding it. For all we now, it could be worse."

"She's too stubborn for her own good," mutters Amy. "But she's nice. When I came here, she really helped me get used to it. She didn't say anything. Just took my hand and showed me around."

"Everyone's kind in their own way," agrees Sei, nodding. "Now get some sleep, or something."

"Sure, sure."

* * *

><p>Meg sighs. Jo hadn't said much, but she did seem to be looking around quite a bit.<p>

"Well, I have to go." Meg grabs her bag, about to walk out the door.

"I'm sorry I don't talk too much."

The sound of Jo's voice makes her stop and turn around. It's not as empty as it was, but she has more time to focus on it now. It's calm, controlled, smooth. "Yeah, I'm sorry I don't talk much. Maybe next time I will more. I just don't have much to talk about. It's hard to sometimes. Goodbye," she waves, "Meg."

Meg smiles and walks out the door, leaving Jo in the empty room. It's not too crowded, just a bed, a desk and a dresser. There is, however, a wardrobe with multiple locks on it. All of the locks have the same key, the key being around Jo's neck.

* * *

><p>As Meg leaves through the gate, a new figure goes in. Shorter, a bit older than Amy. Her hood is up, and as she walks through the door she lowers it.<p>

"Hello, Maria," Sei greets her. "Jo is in her room."

Maria nods in thanks and up the stairs, to the top floor. It's the last door, on the end of the hall. She opens it.

Inside, Jo is sitting by the barred window, looking out with dull eyes. No, she looks like she's ignoring something. Maria walks up to her, waiting for her to notice. But she knows it may take a while. Jo closes her eyes, turning to Maria.

"Maria, you're here. Right?"

Maria walks up to Jo, and puts a hand on her head. "Yes, Jo."

She thinks it's sad that Jo has to ask her if she's real. Jo closes her eyes, gripping the key around her neck and squeezing it until drops of blood fall from her clenched hand. When she opens her eyes again, she's snapped out of it. Her eyes are sharp, and she lets go of the key. Opening a drawer, she takes out bandages.

"Sometimes I worry about you, Jo."

"Don't."

Maria knows that Jo doesn't talk much. She has enough to do, after all, ignoring what she thinks she sees. But Jo does it because Maria's her little sister. Jo stands, and Maria gives her a hug. Jo returns the embrace. Maria's visits help her.

Maria remembers a time when Jo helped her. For ten years, she's been trying to return the favor.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it's short. I've had this idea in my head for a long time. It may not be too well written, but I'll get the hagn- hag- hang of it soon. Stories seem to get easier as I go. Here's an example: Seeing the sun. Man, it's taking me so long to write other stories, but no, that one can have chapters ready in an hour if I wanted. **


	2. Calm, Quiet Insanity

Asylum

Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, I _do_ have a lot of this planned out. Let's see how fast I can update. Probably not as fast as I could update Seeing the Sun, but whatever. :P Damn, I _do_ type fast.**

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><p>Jo shoots up in bed, panting. No one is there to comfort her, or let her know what's reality or not. But for now, she's fine. That's a relief. It's a rare occasion worthy of celebration, but she would look even crazier if she did that.<p>

She almost chuckles at that, but she never does. Not even a smile. Not even for Maria.

She thinks she hears the faintest knock, and stops. When she listens for it again, it's not there. Her mind is just fucking with her. What time was it?

3:00 am, sharp. Ghost hour. **(A/N: Or what I believe to be ghost hour, anyways.)**

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><p>Meg walks into the building, having seen the light on in the window of Jo's room. The curtains are shut, but the light is on. Really, a waste of energy, seeing as the sun could brighten up her room within seconds.<p>

As soon as she walks in, she sees Jo, holding out a gloved hand in a silent invitation. Upon seeing Meg's questioning look, she smirks a bit. "Making up for lack of words with actions," she murmurs, and takes Meg's hand in a gentle but firm grip.

The very way Jo walks seems to be cautious, somehow, but something about Jo is just the smallest bit confident. She's not sure what, because Jo looks... She can't quite put her finger on it. It's not fear... resistance, maybe?

Jo stops at a door, raising a hand to silently knock on it.

"Come in," Meg hears a tired voice.

The two walk in, seeing the young, sickly teenager. Upon seeing them, she smiles. "Hey, Jo. Who's the new girl?"

"She's one of the volunteers," explains Jo, her voice quiet as usual. "This is Meg."

"Hi, Meg," the pale girl holds out a hand, which Meg shakes. "I'm Amy."

"Nice to meet you, Amy."

Jo's eyes are closed, blocking something out by the time the two are done talking. Carefully, as if Jo would just snap out at everything if she wasn't cautious, she puts her hand on Jo's shoulder. "Let's go see the rest of this place, Jo."

Jo's crimson eyes open, seeming to look everywhere until zeroing in on the younger girl in front of her. She nods, just a bit, and takes the redhead's hand again.

They go around the Asylum, greeting people as they work through the building. Then they get to the top floor.

The top floor seems almost empty, Meg realizes. Jo's room is up there, a few other rooms and then an office. As they walk into said office, they see Sei bent over her desk, asleep. With practiced movements, Jo walks up to Sei and puts her hand on the older woman's head, waiting until she wakes up.

Meg realizes that if anyone were to represent the saying, "actions speak louder than words," it would be Jo.

Slowly, Sei's eyes open. The woman blushes when she sees that she's been sleeping in front of the two girls, but Jo's eyes hold understanding. She lightly smacks Sei's arm, shaking her head slightly. No means no. She's telling her to not work so much.

Or, you know, she could just be shaking her head for the hell of it.

But it's probable that that's not the case.

* * *

><p>"So, what's in this closet?" inquires Meg, leaning in to inspect the lock.<p>

Jo looks down at her necklace, holding the metal in her hands. On her hand are bandages, courtesy of Maria. She peels the dirty gauze away to reveal a scar of where she clutched the key to the point of bleeding, last night and countless other times. She looks up to see Meg staring at her, curious.

"Jo?" Meg's sapphire gaze travels to the sharp-looking key, the tossed gauze and the scars that decorate the palm of Jo's hand. Instead of taking the key from her, she just cocks her head to the side. "Why?"

"Pain shatters illusions."

Jo's eyes are dull, expressionless. It isn't the first time that Meg wonders what's really going on in the girl's head. She seems normal enough, if a bit mute most of the time. But stupid as she _might_ be, Meg knows that there's something bothering her. Sometimes she sees Jo looking around, gaze quickly flicking back to look at something completely normal with a hint of surprise. It could be anything; a lamp, a vase, or even Meg herself.

Guess it's called an Asylum for a reason.

* * *

><p>When she's leaving, she runs into someone. Quite literally, in fact.<p>

Both her and the stranger fall backwards, and they're left on the floor, knocked on their asses. Meg looks up to see someone who seems eerily familiar, though she's never seen the girl before. She's younger than Meg is, and has her hood up so that her hair is hidden, but she sees the girl's eyes.

"You kind of look like Jo," Meg blurts out. The girl before her is shocked.

"You know Jo?" Both of them get up at the same time. The girl holds out her hand. "I'm Maria. Her little sister."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Meg. A volunteer," explains the red-head, shaking Maria's hand.

"That's nice," says Maria awkwardly, looking up to where Jo's room is. Neither her or her sister seem to be the most social people in the world. "I have to go check on her. Nice meeting you, Meg."

Meg walks towards her house, just as rain begins to fall. She groans- she doesn't really live all that close to the asylum, so this will be a pain in the ass. It's then that she hears the sound of an umbrella opening. She turns to see Maria and Jo standing there, the later holding an extra umbrella in her hand.

"Jo didn't think you should go home in the pouring rain without one," explains Maria. She's good at translating Jo's thoughts, it seems, because Jo just nods. Meg smiles.

"Thanks," she says, taking the offered umbrella. It's light blue. "I'll return it tomorrow."

"If you need it, keep it," offers Jo. She seems to be making an effort to speak, and Meg can see a drop of blood falling from her free hand, the chain of the key hanging loosely. "People here don't go outside too much, so it's not like they would need it." She meets Meg's eyes. "Goodbye, Meg."

The two sisters turn, walking inside. The tiniest trail of blood follows Jo into the building as the door closes behind them.

* * *

><p>"The doctor still wants to see what happened to your brain."<p>

_Drip. Drip. _"Tell her to piss off. She has Amy to worry about, doesn't she?"

"True enough, but- For God's sake, Jo, let go of the damn key and bandage your hand!"

"Temper, Sei," mutters Jo, her voice holding the faintest hint of teasing. One more drop of blood stains the floor before Jo lets it go, taking gauze out of her jacket pocket. Her eyes close.

"I know." Sei sighs, but smirks just a bit. Jo's right. She's glad the girl's ability to reason was never damaged. The smirk disappears. "But can you blame her? She's curious, and I am too. What happened? Before they took you, you were different. Daring, rebellious, and a brilliant fighter. Now look at you. Calm, barely speaking and you won't even touch a weapon."

Jo's eyes snap open, the anger in them seeming to make them even more red. She takes one step towards Sei. "You shut up. I don't want to talk about it."

"If we knew what was wrong with you, we might be able to fix it-"

"_I don't know _what they did to me."

Jo's eyes widen beyond belief before snapping closed, and she stands still for a bit. One of her hands flies to her own face, her nails digging into her skin. She let her guard down, Sei knows. She shouldn't have talked so much, Jo thinks as a trail of crimson slowly oozes it's way down her face.

Sei looks away from Jo, who's now-dirtied hand falls to her side. "I'm sorry, Jo."

She is sorry. You shouldn't kick someone who's down.

But that doesn't mean she's going to take it back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think I've said this before, but... congratulations, you've seen a miniscule amount of Jo's past!**


	3. Horrible

Asylum

Chapter... eh...

**A/N: Tired. Tired, tired tired. Inspired. Inspired, inspired, inspired.**

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><p>Meg walks into the asylum, seeing Sei checking some papers as she sits down in one of the chairs by the entrance. "Sei?" Upon hearing her name, the woman looks up. Seeing Meg, she smiles, just a bit.<p>

"Oh, hello, Meg," she offers a small wave. "I was just looking at some documents. If you're looking for Jo, you'll have to wait a bit. Jo has a strong dislike for free time, so she's helping out in the kitchen right now."

"I see," Meg can't help but notice Jo's name, appearing several times on the papers in Sei's hands. "So what are those documents about?"

"Just something Jo's doctor wanted me to see," replies Sei. "Nothing big. If you want, you're welcome to go to the kitchen. They appreciate help, especially in sending out meals."

Although she doesn't completely believe Sei when she says it's "nothing big", (nothing big doesn't cover ten pages) Meg nods. She makes her way to where she remembers the kitchen is, easily recalling the memory of Jo holding her hand, leading her around. She finds herself distracted, with that memory.

After all, Jo's hand had been so warm...

And shaking.

* * *

><p>"Hi," says Jo, nodding in Meg's direction. Said girl jumps; she didn't think Jo saw her, seeing as she hadn't reacted in any way when she'd walked in. She's cutting something up, looking entirely focused on that. And only that. It's a wonder she even noticed.<p>

Dropping the vegetables in a pot, she puts down the knife as quickly as possible. The cook thanks her, and Jo follows Meg out without a word. As they walk down the hallway, Jo's fists are clenched. Today, she seems focused on everything she does. Even walking.

Tense.

Meg can't take it.

She stops, making the silver-haired girl bump into her. Turning around, she takes Jo's hand in her own, making her relax. Then she takes Jo's hand in her own. "Relax," she commands. Jo's mouth twitches, before smiling just a bit. She gently squeezes Meg's hand as they continue down the hallway. Her hand was shaking, again, but not as much.

* * *

><p>"Dear God," murmurs Sei, looking at all the papers. X-rays and explanations. Places that have been circled, and described. Ten pages of this. Places where bones were broken and healed, places that were damaged... so many of them.<p>

That is, in fact, something Meg can see when Jo takes her jacket off.

There are scars decorating nearly every inch of Jo's tanned body, and when she sees it she sees more scars she hadn't noticed before. Namely the one on her face, on her right cheek. Quite notable when you're aware of it. When you're looking.

The key around her neck shines, and Meg wonders what's so important that she has to have that with her at all times. And why it was made to be so sharp. As she looks at the scars on the palms of Jo's hands, she finds herself with a reason.

"Jo, how bad is it?" Meg asks. She doesn't have to tell Jo what she's talking about.

"Physically, and mentally, horrible." Jo says that with a straight face, a monotone voice, as if it's an everyday thing. Knowing her, it probably is.

* * *

><p>Sei can remember, faintly, how Jo looked when she first came in.<p>

She had a considerable amount of dried blood on her, a panicked look in her eyes. Her gaze kept shifting around, and she held onto her little sisters hand like it was a life-line. She did, however, manage to control herself enough to talk to her. Since Sei was insisting Jo go into the Asylum, Jo compromised. She would go in and stay in until she was better, if Maria were given a place to live.

Really, a noble thing to do, in her situation.

Anyone else would've begged to go, regardless.

* * *

><p>In many ways, this Jo was the same as the Jo she'd always known. She still had something mysterious about her, like she did then. But that violent spark and fiery self-confidence was gone now. She was a calm, sorrowful but strong woman, now. Sei <em>knew<em> she was still strong, even if she no longer fought. When someone in the Asylum had gone completely mad and tried charging at another person, Jo had reached out and held him back, going so far as pulling him off the ground as she quietly apologized to the person who had nearly been assaulted. Then she had carried him up to Sei's office.

In a sense, still the same...

Yes, she's allowed to go outside. She simply doesn't want to.

There are more people outside than in here. More people that, if they are bad, may become targets. And when someone or something becomes a target of Jo, they don't live very long after the encounter. It's not her fault. She can't control it.

She doesn't give a damn about the bad people of this world, but she's afraid of only one thing, in general. She's afraid that if she starts targeting people, starts killing them, she won't be able to stop. She misses her old self-control, she really does. She took it for granted, before.

She looks around, seeing that she's in a battlefield. Corpses litter the ground around her, staining the air with the stench of death. She decides that this illusion is enough when she sees the one thing that actually scares her.

It's herself.

She's seen this scene many times, actually. There she is, uniform ruined with blood that isn't even her own. Her eyes are cold, devoid of emotion as if she were a machine. And to them, she probably was. But she knows the slight smile on her face is fake. After all, she wasn't allowed to show emotion.

The battlefield fades, and she's in her room again. Looking out the window as Meg stands, rather awkwardly, in the middle of the room. "Sorry, Meg," she apologizes, gaze sliding towards her. Meg smiles, forgiving because she understands.

Not many people do.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Disappointingly short! Bah! And it's the early hours of morning... actually, in my opinion it's not morning until 10, but whatever. I've been up since ghost hour and I'm tired as hell. **


	4. Moments of Sanity

Asylum

Chapter 4

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><p>She felt like something was there, when she woke up.<p>

The second she woke up she started convincing herself that it was fake. She felt her whole body freeze, but she was too used to this for it to be unnatural. She could see their silhouettes, towering over her. Their tools were in their hands, glinting in the moonlight. Suddenly they transformed into hauntingly familiar figures, and she felt as though she were being beaten. But no. She was perfectly fine. And she knew it.

And then it's all gone, and she's left remembering things that were best left forgotten.

She can remember pain. That breaks down into many things in itself. Bruises forming, bones breaking, and fighting back are all memories that she's had since a little while after birth. It's later, when Maria is there, when she sees that wide-eyed look of innocence on her little sister's face, that she starts fighting for two people. She remembers standing in front of Maria, protective, bleeding from her nose...

And the army... well, she didn't really want to think about that too much.

* * *

><p><em>"Where will you go after this, soldier?"<em>

_ That's what Sei asks the girl when she finds her sitting on a cliff, legs dangling off the side. Jo doesn't even turn to look at her, having known that Sei was there the moment she stepped into the area. "I guess I'll keep helping out the army, maybe get an actual job. I'm definitely not going back home, though, you can count on that." _

_ "You don't seem to like it there very much." _

_ "No, really? I hadn't noticed." Jo yawns. "Well, shit. I guess I have to go to bed, general." She gets up, beginning the walk back. "If I'm not wrong, you should too. More training tomorrow." She sighs, stopping. "Looks like you came looking for me, huh, Maria?"_

* * *

><p>Sei wakes up from the memory, finding that she'd fallen asleep at her desk again. Strange. Usually Jo would've woken her up before now. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the air. Her first thought was to run downstairs and check on Amy. Amy, who she happens to run into as the sick girl stumbles up the stairs.<p>

"Amy?" Now Sei's just plain confused. "Why are you out of your-"

"You." Sei's not used to hearing that kind of authority from anyone but herself. "_Get out there_ and stop what's happening. _Right. Now._" Despite her (deadly) calm voice, there was a sort of panic in her chocolate eyes. She sits on the stairs, seemingly exhausted. "And help me out when you're done."

Sei nods, running downstairs and out the door of the building. There, she sees a man holding a gun to Jo's head, the later looking much to calm to be someone at gunpoint. Or, rather, someone _sane_, but Jo wasn't really sane back then, either, so...

Shit, was Sei getting ADD?

"If you're really so mad, go ahead and shoot," commands Jo. Her voice is cold, demanding, and almost sounding as if she were disappointed in the man. "If your resolve is so hardened, then what's making you hesitate? If what you say is true-"

"You _did_ kill my brother!" yells the man. His whole arm is shaking. The truth is, he can't seem to shoot her. Something about her makes him quake in fear. "What the...?" He closes his eyes, shaking his head. "Shit! I've been killing for years, preparing for this! Why am I so scared of killing some insane ex-soldier who's not even armed?"

"Stop talking to yourself!" Jo raises her voice, but she doesn't yell. It's as if someone turned the volume up. "And stop being so god damn _pathetic_!" Sei's eyes widen, jaw dropping, but not because of her words. "_You_ listen to _me _ right now, kid. You have _no _idea how much of a _fucking _hypocrite you're being."

Jo's eyes have a sort of disoriented look to them, and Sei's positive she's letting her guard down against whatever sorts of visions she has. "You're coming here because I killed _one_ person close to you, but from your words you probably killed the family of more people than you care to admit." She meets his eyes. "You. Are. Pathetic."

Sei is shocked. Not because Jo seems to be ignoring everything around her. Not because the gun is still pointed at the silver-haired girl's head. But because this is the old Jo. Anger and reluctance in her eyes, words that cut like knives. She looks like if she died, at that very moment, she would be fine with it, yet she looks like she wants to beat the shit out of the person who's in front of her.

But then the gun shifts to the side.

Meg is here, and now guess who's staring down the barrel of a certain gun?

Jo's eyes widen. The man laughs bitterly. "I may not be able to kill _you_, but I have no problem killing this girl? Judging by your reaction, you know her, right? Then I'll cause you the same pain you caused me, all those years ago!"He starts laughing more, sounding crazier by the second. Up until he's on the floor, staring into the fires of hell that burn in Jo's eyes.

"I have manners, so I waited for you to finish talking before _I_ took the time to speak." She delivers a sharp punch (a weak one, for her) to his jaw, and another to his nose. Judging by how he screams, and the cracking that is heard, she probably broke something. "Listen, I don't give a damn if you kill me, even if you're lack of resolve is annoying. But to involve someone who's been nothing but good this whole time..." She pulls him up, pushing him against the wall and kneeing him in the groin. "To involve someone I care about... You've crossed the line."

Sei experiences a moment of fear. If Jo kills him, she'll go to jail.

Luckily, Jo only knocks him out. His blood is on her knuckles, and she takes his phone out of his pocket. The screen is cracked, probably because of her, but it still works. She calls the police, informing them of what had happened, and then walks over to Meg.

She expects fear, maybe. Disgust. Discomfort if she's lucky.

She just hopes that Meg's okay, physically and mentally. She's seen a lot of people who were near death change, and not always in a good way. She didn't want that to happen to Meg, whom she actually _did_ care about.

Selfishly, she doesn't want Meg to run from her. It would be the logical thing to do, seeing as Meg had just put at gunpoint _because of her_ and had seen her easily take down someone larger and more prepared than her. Most people would probably run. Some might've even panicked and hit Jo (natural reaction, maybe?).

She doesn't expect a hug.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aww, isn't that sweet? Jo, beating the shit out of some guy and then getting a hug from Meg. That's how most people's lives should be. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the most Jo's spoken in this story? And yay! Amy gets an appearance! That's new. So yeah... **


	5. Sickness

Asylum

Chapter Number

**A/N: I have GOT to remember how many chapters there are...**

* * *

><p>Some days, Jo would not speak.<p>

She would not speak, she would not get out of bed, and she would not even seem to see people. She would just lie there, in her bed, gaze (if her eyes were open, that is) turned towards the ceiling. Hollow in the worst way, empty as if she were no longer alive. Cleared of any emotions, the only way one would know she weren't dead was her breathing. Either too slow or too fast.

This scared Meg more than any other thing.

No, Jo's past in the army didn't scare her. Nor did the silver-haired girl's incredible strength or clinical insanity. Not Jo's scars, not the cold forbidding air around her, not even how she would grip that key until she bled. It was when Jo would lie there, looking to all the world like a corpse that could still breathe.

Maria was always there on those days. Meg didn't know whether Sei called her (or Amy, since it seemed she could do anything with that laptop) or if she somehow knew, and she didn't have time to care. She would watch Jo with a worried look on her face.

But this had to be worse.

Because accompanying the empty stares were violent coughing fits, a too-high fever and a visit from the doctor. Jo was sick, looking worse than she did on her "bad days", as Meg had dubbed them. The bags under her eyes seemed darker (or was it that she looked more pale?) and she somehow looked almost fragile. Almost, because it was impossible for Jo to look completely fragile.

Okay, a cut above fragile. More like if you punched her, she just wouldn't care. Instead of, you know, striking back before you could punch her in the first place.

For some reason, Jo's scars seemed to stick out all the more. Jo would groan in pain at times, as if her old wounds suddenly hurt again. The only upside was that she spoke a little, even if it were reassurances that she was fine (though it was obvious she actually wasn't).

"Jo?"

A grunt, meaning she hears her.

"Do you want water?"

Eyes opening, gaze turning to the empty cup on the bedside table, and a small nod. Accepting that in her state, she can't even get it herself. Trying to cope with being bed-ridden, something she hates doing. Maria had told Meg how Jo had tried to get up on "those" days, in her first years at the Asylum.

"I'll get it, Meg," Maria immediately offers.

"No, you've done a lot already," points out Meg. "You have to stay seated for at least five minutes."

Jo smirks a bit as Maria rolls her eyes with a small smile. Meg doesn't miss the thankful look sent her way by the older girl, who seems to also want Maria to take a break. That's just like Jo, to be so sick but to worry for someone else. Especially if that someone happens to be Maria or herself, she knows. It reminds her of the incident that had occurred two weeks ago, when Jo had saved her. Things like this told her how good a person the girl was without Jo having to say a word.

Meg returns with the water, only to find Jo asleep. She looks almost at peace, though also like she's ready to get up at any second, even in her weakened state. She twitches a little, bothered by something, but is calmed by Maria, who runs a soothing hand through Jo's short hair.

The doctor walks in, bags under her dark eyes as she looks over Jo's condition. Her expression seems grim by default, but Meg is relieved that it doesn't get gloomier. For some reason, the doctor seems to be depressed.

"So what's wrong with her?" asks Meg.

"The problem is not what's wrong with her now, but what's already wrong with her. Not only is she insane, but she has way too many injuries, be they past or present. It's had some bad effects on her organs, and her mind shows signs of... tampering, of some sort. Her bones, at least, are strong, but that's only because they've broken and healed themselves so many times. Right now, though, the only added problem is that she's sick. I'm only here to make sure that what she's going through isn't fatal, which, by the way, it isn't. But one day, it will be. It is for every patient."

Though what she said should sound emotional, she says it in a monotone. She scribbles a few things down, setting down a bottle of medicine. "While I'm here, I'll review Amy's condition. If Jo gets worse, give her some of that medication."

Then the doctor is gone, and Maria- who'd been silent throughout the whole exchange- decides to explain her strange behavior to Meg. "The doctor has seen many patients die of diseases she can't even hope to cure. Especially in this asylum. She thinks it's bound to happen to Jo, but once she said she'd never seen someone hold on that long."

"I see..." Meg looks at Jo, then back to where the doctor left. "It must be pretty horrible, to watch people die like that."

"She's used to it, now," says Jo, appearing to have woken up. "I've seen ten people die in my years staying here. But that's only here. I suppose you could say I sympathize with the doctor."

Meg nods at that, noting that Jo is slowly but steadily getting better. Her voice is coming back. Not that it was lost, but she hadn't spoken so much for a long time. She seemed to either have less hallucinations or she was getting much better at ignoring them. Meg remembers how Jo had looked when she'd first come there, how she'd acted distant. Hand forever clasped around the blade-like key of hers.

Maria notices this, too, and smiles just a bit. It looks like it's not in her place to help Jo.

* * *

><p>"Time."<p>

That was what Jo said when Meg arrived at the asylum one day, gently but firmly grasping her hand and leading her up the stairs. She goes to the closet that sits, all but forgotten in the corner of the room. Meg almost face-palms when Jo opens it normally, without the use of the key. Her eyes widen a bit when she sees the gun leaned against the wall of the wardrobe, but then remembers that Jo used to be in the army.

Jo takes out a box, using the key on that. Carefully, almost as if she's afraid touching it will burn her, she takes out a black notebook. She seems to observe it for a while, a mix of emotions swirling in the crimson pools that make up her eyes. She then looks back up at Meg.

"Meg, please wait here. I have to show Sei this."

Meg nods. Something seems different about Jo, this moment. Like someone who had just remembered something. Something important. There's an air of authority when she tells her to wait, a certain severity to everything she does. As Meg sits down on the bed, she notices the more major difference.

Her hands were free of bandages.

"Sei, it looks like I've been lying to you for quite some time now."

"Jo?" The black-haired woman is surprised to see the gunslinger in her office, looking more like her old self than usual. "What do you need? What are you talking about, for that matter?" As far as she knew, Jo told the truth, whether it hurt or not.

"I didn't realize until the other day, when Meg asked me what was in the closet. I think she's asked me before, but I couldn't pay attention at the time. Anyways, I recently remembered exactly what was in there. So, this book," she holds it up, tossing it onto Sei's desk. "May have the answers you've wanted for so long."

"So you do know...?"

"What happened to my brain?" finishes Jo. She looks out the window, silent for a few seconds before turning to look at Sei. "Yes. I made sure I knew what happened to me. That book has everything, as you may remember, under instruction of the armed forces."

"The journal we were ordered to keep?" asks Sei, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't think you would do that."

"Maria made me. I guess she helped more than she thought."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry this is so short, but I'll try making the next chapter longer. This story may be shorter than I thought it would, but I'm just glad I could write it to start with. God only knows how many ideas I have that don't make it through the first chapter. **


	6. A Soldier's Past

Asylum

Chapter 6

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, this is going to be a rather short story. I'd wager that it'll only be one chapter longer (maybe two, I realize now! In fact, it probably will be two!), so sorry if that disappoints you. :P Well, on with Jo's past!**

* * *

><p>"Here's the page. This is where it started."<p>

* * *

><p><em>No one has found out that I've lied about my age yet, which is good. They told me about a deal they had, in fact. They said it would do good for this army, maybe end the war. Sounds alright to me, but Maria says there's something suspicious about it. She's telling me to do what I want, though, so she can't be all that afraid of what might happen. Anything they do will be better than what they did back home, though. We're free now, thanks to them, so I think it would be good to repay them.<em>

_** Jo is angry, talking about her parents. They had abused her since she was young, and she took it upon herself to protect Maria from them when she was born, making the beatings twice as bad. When she was in her early teens, she'd heard about the army. She could pass as an older girl, since she was fairly tall for her age, and if she was good enough at fighting (which she was, she knew) they wouldn't care. So she'd left with Maria in the night.**_

_ I'm still weighing my options though. It's not good to do something without thinking about it. They say it'll make things better, but the problem is that they won't say anything else. I told them I'll think about it, and I could tell that irritated them. I'm just not sure about it. It's all too suspicious. If they want something from me, they should tell me what they want._

* * *

><p>Jo's writing is more... hurried, now. Almost like she has a time limit.<p>

* * *

><p><em>They crossed the line. I don't know what they did, but I keep having blackouts. I'll be ready to go, and then I'll be in the middle of a field. There's bodies. I don't know who's side they're on. Just bodies. Tons of them. And I'm standing alone, holding a gun that's out of ammo. Then I'll see more people for just a second, and black out again. <em>

_ It's more than that. I keep hearing things. Something's going on. Something is seriously wrong. _

_** Jo's hand is shaking a bit as she writes, journal lit by the flickering lamp on her desk. Suddenly, she jumps, stopping for a second to listen. When she hears nothing, she continues again. **_

_**It's a miserable routine. She swears she hears either hushed whispers or angered screams. **_

_ I have to leave. But I know they won't let me. If they went so far as to abduct me in my sleep. I would've fought my way out, but they filled my room with sleeping gas. They are nothing like I thought they were. No, they're cowards and liars. If I tried attacking them, they would probably kill Maria. But if I so much as think of it, it's like my brain rebels. This is only going to get worse. _

_ There's a massive fight happening in a few days. They think it'll end the war. Me, I'm not so sure. But there's one thing it will have: Explosions. They'll be attacking us on our grounds. I have my things prepared. I've explained to Maria my plan, and she understands it. No one heard, which I'm grateful for. I'll be able to escape with the fight as my distraction, so long as I don't black out._

* * *

><p><em> <strong>Jo runs on the blood-stained ground of the battlefield, silver hair whipped back by the speed. Suddenly, though, it's happening again. Her pupils disappear, eyes going completely red. She starts shooting, killing anyone she doesn't recognize as an ally. Trapped in her own mind, she is screaming. This may ruin the plan. Why now, though? It seemed that if there was a fight, this would happen. Hell, it had almost happened in camp!<strong>_

_** A massive explosion, bigger than the rest, forces her out of her trance. She looks back, at where it came from. Camp. Maria. **_

_** She runs faster than she's ever run in her life, shoving anyone who gets in her way with an inhuman force powered by fear for her only real family. She stops short for just a second at the sight of her little sister. The younger girl is holding onto the bag containing their things, a triumphant glint in her eyes. With a small smirk, Jo scoops her up and starts running. Nowhere in particular, ****really. Just **_**away**_**.**_

* * *

><p>"The handwriting is different after this," comments Sei, confused.<p>

Jo nods, looking at the paper as well.

"That was Maria."

* * *

><p><em>Jo's not doing so well. Her eyes are shifting all the time, and sometimes she looks right through me. We've been walking through Japan for a while now. Jo looks like she forgot about her journal, so I'll write about it. She has one paper, one she won't let go of, but she's not letting go of her gun, either. People have been looking at us kind of weird for that, but I don't mind. <em>

_ I think Jo needs help. Maybe we'll find someone Jo knows, or something. Maybe we'll find someone who will also know that something's wrong with Jo. I don't know what's on the paper, but I bet it's important. If it wasn't, Jo wouldn't have held on to it for the two weeks we've been gone from the base. I miss the base. It was warm, and the soldiers were nice. But I know why we had to leave._

_** Jo sits on the bench, staring off into space as she leans into the cool steel shape of her machine gun. Maria's head rests on her lap. The streetlamp casts a yellow-ish light on their hair. Maria's asleep, as Jo can tell by how she's acting, and she knows she'll have to sleep eventually too.**_

_** Later, though she doesn't know it, she'll run into Sei. Sei, the general. The strategist. The woman who'd been honest with her. Later she would agree to go to the Asylum for help, and slowly that help would work. But it would not cure her, no. She knew that from the start.**_

* * *

><p>"Jo, what's this paper that's mentioned?"<p>

Jo stops, searching her memory. "Wait just one second." She stands, leaving Sei to observe the notebook. Returning to the room, she sees Meg sleeping peacefully on the bed. With a small smile, Jo lets her sleep. Jo hadn't even been gone that long. Since she wasn't too good with writing and didn't care for doing it in the first place, there wasn't much for Sei to read.

Jo roots through the closet, not finding anything. Frustrated, she closes it, leaning against the wooden planks that make up the structure. Then she remembers one thing.

Her gun.

Reopening the closet, she takes out the gun. It's old, now, dusty and rusted. She should clean it, like she did before. Good thing to do while Sei tries finding out what's wrong with her head, she guesses.

Dismantling her gun, she slowly sets to work. That is, until a thin, sharp edge scratches one of her fingers.

She stares at the cartridge she'd taken out, seeing a sliver of white peeking out from behind a bullet. Emptying it, she finds a rolled up and worn paper. There are creases where it was folded and unfolded until it nearly broke, and as she unfolds it again, her eyes widen, and emotion she hasn't felt in years sparking within them.

Hope.

* * *

><p>Jo all but breaks down the door to Sei's office just as the older woman is about to put the book away. Seeing the look on Jo's face, Sei drops the book, the loose stitching unraveling and making the papers fall all over the desk. Sei sends the silver-haired girl an apologetic look, but Jo doesn't seem to care.<p>

She slams the picture on the desk, and Sei picks it up carefully. Reading it for a few seconds, she looks up.

"I have to call the doctor. We may have just found a way to reverse what they did to you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it's so short, and so chopped up. Usually the back-stories are longer, but oh well.**


	7. Permission

Asylum

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>The doctor shut herself in a room for days.<p>

She was filled with incredible amounts of determination. Now, unlike all the other times, she would be able to do something that actually helped. And Jo, her long-time patient, deserved to be cured of her mental illness. Being a doctor in the asylum for so long, the woman had seen countless people die because they'd lost a battle to their minds. Jo, however, had been fighting it for a decade. Still, the doctor knows she can't let herself hope.

She knew why Jo was affected so badly by what they did. Their planning was full-proof. Jo should have been relatively fine. She would have been, too, if not for the fact that she had lied about her age.

Their project was, in short, a control. They were doing this to Jo so she would kill any and all people without hesitation, if she did not recognize them as an ally. All they would have to was drop her in a battlefield with weapons and ammo, and then activate the program.

The procedure was meant for the fully developed mind of the person Jo had pretended to be. Not for a teenager. It had overwhelmed Jo's mind, and, in short... broke it. The doctor, however, was confident that she could fix it. Confidence was something she had not displayed in seven years, since she'd lost her first patient.

And now, she had it back. If only for a short time.

* * *

><p>"Jo, I know how to cure you."<p>

If there was one way to get Jo's attention, it was by saying things straight to the point. The girl looks up, seeming more sane already than she had in a long time. She meets the eyes of the doctor, and smirks a bit at seeing what was not there before. That glint in the woman's eyes, something that had been gone for many, many years. She doesn't have to say that she's listening for the woman to continue.

"It will, without a doubt, restore all of your sanity- well, what you _had_, anyways." She corrects herself because she'd heard about how Jo used to be from Sei. "You'll go back to normal. The only catch is..."

Ah, the catch. There was _always_ a catch.

"There is a 90% chance of you dying."

Jo stands there for a few seconds, unsure of how to react to that. The doctor, getting the message, stands to leave. Jo sits down, and is still pensive when Meg walks in. She looks so deep in thought that Meg opts with just sitting down next to her, on the bed in Jo's room. She's dying to know what's on her girlfrien- wait, where was that thought coming from? Shrugging it off, Meg leans on Jo, hoping that it'll get her attention.

"Meg, what would you do if I died?"

That shocks Meg awake from the half-sleep she'd managed to get into while leaning against the older girl. She stops to think about the question. If Jo died... she wasn't sure. She'd known Jo for almost a year now, and they'd been some good times. For her, at least. But she'd been told that that the time they spent together also helped Jo, as well. But what if Jo, the now constant person in her life, were to die? Why was Jo asking this, for that matter?

"Depends on why you would die," begins Meg. "If you were killed, or something along those lines, I wouldn't know what to do. I'm not really strong enough to seek vengeance, as you could probably tell. If you died on your own terms, though, then sure, I'd be sad, but I'd know it was your decision."

Jo thinks for a little longer. "You're smarter than you let on, Meg," she says, finally.

"Thanks."

They sit in a comfortable silence. Surprisingly, it's Jo who breaks it. "The doctor found a way to fix my brain. But there's... a big chance I'll die in the process. I want to do it- I really do. But I'm not going to be so selfish as to not ask what other people think. That's why I asked you."

Sanity or death? That hardly seems fair, especially if it's for Jo. But, Meg realizes, if Jo dies from this it will be on Jo's terms. She can't deny Jo from making her own decisions. It would be wrong to do that, and she knows it. "Do what you want, Jo."

Jo looks, at her, sending a message with her blood red eyes.

_Thank you_.

* * *

><p>"Jo, why are you going through with this?"<p>

Jo hadn't expected Maria to take it so bad, but she should've known. She'd told Maria instead of asking her, since Meg's words made her see this situation in a whole different way. This was her life. She would choose what she wanted to do with it. That didn't make the heartbreak in Maria's voice hurt her any less, though. "I miss sanity," murmurs Jo, knowing her younger sister can hear her. Maria's not as mature, and doesn't know how life without Jo is like Meg does. She hasn't lived like that before.

"Maria, I know why you don't want me to do this, but look at the bigger picture for a few seconds," says Jo in a too-calm voice. "My mind tortures me every day, and it's done that for ten years. I have the chance to break free, and dammit, I'm taking it. I'm sorry."

With that, Jo walks away, leaving Maria to her thoughts. Those words, though not meant in a bad way, made Maria feel foolish. The more she sat there, in Jo's own room, the more apparent it came that it was _she_ who should've been apologizing, not Jo. Jo's life was her own, though she had chosen to use it to protect Maria, to make Maria happy because no one had done it for herself. Now, she chose to use it for someone else, at the same time. Meg.

Getting up, Maria leaves the room, wiping tears from her face. She shouldn't be crying.

She should be hoping her sister survives.

* * *

><p>"So, she's doing it, huh..." Meg murmurs, looking at the door.<p>

"She's going into operating now," notes Maria, eyes on the floor. She lifts her gaze when she feels a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and looks up. Meg's blue eyes are friendly, supportive.

"Let's hope Jo survives," Meg says. "Like she always does."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well damn, I just can't seem to make these too long. Well, I hope you enjoy it regardless. The story is coming to a close. Sorry if it disappoints you. :P**


	8. Sane

Asylum

Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi there. **

**Welcome back to the Asylum.**

* * *

><p>Everyone was waiting.<p>

Everyone was waiting for results.

When that door finally opened, what would be inside? The proud smile of the doctor, or a broken expression that would speak for itself? Or would there be a cold look to the doctor's eyes that meant something different entirely? Would they ever see Jo again? And if they did, would she even be alive? Would this help the girl, or would it make things worse? All Meg could do was hope.

As they sit there, the tension almost visible in the very air around them, these are the thoughts that go through their heads. The silence is deafening, and it seems to thicken the tension until it's almost choking all of them. Granted, there aren't many people there, but all the people that _are_ there can hardly stand the wait.

"Hey, Maria," whispers Meg, as if afraid to raise her voice. "How was Jo? Before all of... this?"

Maria answers quickly, grateful for the break in the silence. "That's hard to explain. She was... free. More independent. Visibly more sane, but so reckless that people never thought she was all there to begin with. She was protective, responsible, and could either be cold and silent or warm and talkative. She's... the kind of person you want at your side, not against you."

"She's not so different," remarks Sei. "But at the same time, she's almost the opposite."

Meg looks down. So Jo was the same in some ways, but different in others. But how would she change after the operation? Would she still like Meg, as she had before? Or would she not need the redhead anymore? Meg had been at the asylum to help Jo. Yet the whole time, she didn't know what was going on inside Jo's head. Would Jo be very different? Would Jo even remember her?

She needs air, she realizes. She can't breathe. The silence is thickening, chocking her, the people far too calm for the situation. She has to get out of this room, out of the asylum. To the gate. Where she first met Jo. As she's thinking this, she feels herself being taken out of the room, her own legs carrying her to where she wants to go. Out the door. To the tall, black fence.

When she gets there, though, she stops. Rather than going back home, she slides down the gate, sitting down right by the opening. She looks up, to the window of Jo's room. The curtains are open. In fact, the whole window is open, letting the warm summer breeze through. Being out here, in the sun, has a calming effect on Meg, who finds herself falling asleep. The light is warm and gentle. She could sit here all day, if she wanted to .

Her dreams are invaded by Jo. Jo, who Meg has come to think of as someone beyond the role of a friend. Jo. Simply Jo. Jo, who'd saved her life, who seemed so tough yet was constantly tortured both mentally and (sometimes) physically. Even if a sane Jo pushed her away, Meg would stay here. Because she owed Jo her life.

* * *

><p><em>It's dark, and it's cold, and it's much too familiar for her tastes. <em>

_ But now she's back in the war, except she's fully aware of everyone she's killing, seeing their faces, seeing their pasts, completely conscious of who she kills and how brutally. She's in her body, but she's not controlling it. Her expression on the outside is blank and empty as she single-handedly murders an entire army. _

_ She's killing everyone she sees. As the faces become more familiar- the girl who helped her get into the army, the family that lived next door and looked at their bruises with concern- she tries to stop herself. Because if they're getting more significant, they'll eventually reach the people she doesn't want to kill. _

_ She wants to put that gun to her own head as she shoots down Sei, then Amy, an old friend named Leo who'd taught her how to read (she was reluctant, but she'd never gone to school, so she __accepted it), and Maria, who looks so shocked and betrayed that it breaks her heart. _

_ Her heart is already broken, but the pieces explode when she sees Meg, arms wrapped around her knees as she sits on the bloody ground, face stained with the grime that floats in the air as her innocent sapphire gaze pierces through Jo. Jo can feel the cold mask break, and she falls on her knees in front of Meg, right in the middle of her circle of dead friends. _

_ Meg smiles, brightly, seemingly blind to the corpses as Jo hangs her head in shame. Smile still in place, she wraps her arms around Jo, who tenses up at first. But then, realizing that nothing bad is happening, she returns the hug, finding her long-lost home in Meg's embrace, and realizes something important. _

_ She opens her mouth..._

_ just as the world shatters around her._

* * *

><p><em>Beep... Beep... Beep...<em>

If her senses were clear before, they're even clearer now. She can hear things she knows are real. What pain she feels is normal. Her head and the palms of her hands hurt, but that's normal. Especially since she just had the surgery, she remembers, and her old... habit of gripping a certain key too tightly.

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

That sound. She remembers it. A heart monitor. There's one in Amy's room. She must be in the infirmary of the Asylum, she guesses. It certainly smells like the infirmary. Though it feels like the operation works, Jo is afraid to open her eyes. Afraid of having all hope crushed as she sees someone- her parents, living shadows, maybe even Meg or Maria- standing in front of her, hate in their eyes, holding weapons.

_Beep... Beep... Beep..._

Dear God, that beeping is annoying.

_Beep... Beep... BZZT._

Jo's eyes are opened, her hand where the screen of the monitor used to be. Okay, considering she has about five shards of glass in her hand, that wasn't the best idea. While the beeping is gone, footsteps have taken it's place. So far, so good, she guesses, since she hasn't had any hallucinations yet. She's trying to pick out the glass when the doctor runs through the door, followed by Sei.

"What are you, retarded?" asks the doctor, raising a dark eyebrow. "I don't have an operation to fix that."

"The beeping annoyed me," says Jo in her old voice. Still calm and cool, but stronger, louder. Not a yell, merely... higher in volume. More noticeable. Her eyes are clearer, set into a bright, lazy stare that seems to look right through you. She seems much more at ease, though still ready to hurt anyone who tries harming her.

"Welcome back, Jo," Sei comments with a smile.

The doctor walks over, seeming to accept that it worked. She grabs tweezers and starts pulling the shards out of Jo's hands. As she does this, Amy is wheeled in, her chair being pushed by Maria. Amy smiles, wheeling herself a bit off to the side, and waves at Jo, who smirks at her.

Maria breaks into a run, nearly tackling Jo in a hug. Chuckling, Jo returns it with her free arm. Maria's crying with relief, shaking in her older sister's embrace. Jo strokes her hair, comforting her, being the big sister she hadn't been able to be for more than a decade. Maria is a little girl again, hugging Jo after the older girl had protected her. From bullies, from their parents, from the explosions in the war... it doesn't matter. Not right now.

When Maria lets go, and Jo's hand is bandaged up, Jo sees Meg.

It's like seeing a whole other person. She can actually take in how beautiful Meg is now, with her flowing red hair, bright gaze, and perfect pale skin. Jo gets up, falling silent at the sight of the girl she's known for months now. She walks over to her with long, steady steps, reaching the doorway where the redhead stands fast.

"I'm known for being pretty direct..." begins Jo, words leaving her mouth without permission. "So based on that, I have something to say."

"What is that?" asks Meg, unsure whether to hug the girl, run, or do something else entirely.

"I love you."

_... I've been waiting for this._

And then they're kissing. Who started it is, to this day, a mystery, since it comes so naturally it's like the kiss never ends or begins. They just know that it happens, and none of them care how or why. When they kiss, Meg an Jo are one, opposites but fitting so well together. They get lost in this simple kiss, Jo's arms wrapping around Meg's waist, Meg's arms going to Jo's neck.

It's Amy's clapping that stops them, and they both pull away to look at the small brunette, who is smirking as she watches them, slowly clapping her hands together. "Oh, no, continue. I'm sure the whole room won't mind watching.

Meg blushes, taking a small step away from Jo. Everyone laughs, and Jo smirks, putting a hand on Meg's waist and pulling her forward for another kiss, giving the rest of them the finger. Meg laughs at this, too, and decides...

She likes this Jo.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry if the ending sucks. :P I finally finished this story, though. **


End file.
